Kneel Standing Up
by animelee
Summary: Sesshomaru has never been one to submit to anyone, even as a slave, so there's no way he was going to do it to a hanyou prince...right? Yaoi, Inuyasha/Sesshomaru, shota, review!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**A/N: Hi guys! Sorry for all these new stories but I'm just bursting with ideas that I can't help but want to put down before I forget! This fic is AUish as Inuyasha and Sesshomaru aren't brothers' and some other stuff that'll be revealed later. Here's a heads up though, all my stories will be updated pretty soon so don't forget to check them out ne?**

**Warnings: an appropriate one will be given at each chapter but know this is yaoi; shota yaoi there will be Mpreg, Lemons, Limes…if your familiar with how I write you don't even have to read this.**

**Pairings: Inuyasha/Sesshomaru. (Yeah another seme Inuyasha fic)**

**Disclaimer: Do you see Inuyasha and Sesshomaru having some fun in the sun with each other…no? that's cuz I don't own it!...yet..-maniacal laughter-**

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><p>Chains shuffled and clanged as they were led out of the stuffy carriage, though they made no sounds, their fear was thick in the air as they were led past youkai's in armor through a series of collecting hallways. They were horded like mindless fools, dolls, merchandise, to be used and abused however the owner saw fit because that was what they were. Slaves. There to bend to the will of their superior.<p>

But Sesshomaru refused to bend. He knew not one of these youkai were superior to him in any way shape or form. His mother had been the most beautiful and greatest female Inudaiyoukai in the world. She used to tell him tales of her conquests and adventures and how men would come from across lands to court her in hopes of having a strong pure blooded pup, but she had fallen in love with a low level inuyoukai merchant.

Needless to say a lot of her former suitors were not happy with this and sought to have revenge, seeing her reject of them for such a lowlife as an affront to their pride and ego.

They had attacked and killed him on his way to meet her the night Sesshomaru was born and the more crazed ones' had gone after her with the intent of killing the pup and still claiming her.

Weak from childbirth and carrying the newly born Sesshomaru in one hand, she had managed to cut every single one of them down, leaving none recognizable for burial as a revenge for the death of her beloved mate.

After that, she had somewhat gone into hiding where she could raise her pup in peace.

His mother had had many a name; the Mage of death, Hell's angel, the killer, lethal beauty, poison passion, death's seductress. They had become what she was referred to, so much so that no one longer remembered her real name, but she had once told Sesshomaru it was Kukiko.

But no one knew, and since she had always referred to him as her greatest perfection, the youkai around had begun seeing him as such and had unanimously started calling him 'the killer's perfection'. It didn't take long for the name to morph into 'Sesshomaru', 'the killing perfection'.

His life with his mother had been relatively peaceful, save for the occasional pompous youkai that came to challenge her to claim rights to the strongest in the land. Sesshomaru had been extremely proud of her; she was beautiful, she was strong, she was someone he aspired to be.

It wasn't until his two hundredth year-a little more than a four year old human-that his brave, strong, beautiful mother had taken ill. She died not long after from the terminal illness and Sesshomaru had buried her, digging a grave with his own claws.

Then _they_ had come. The slavers had come for him. Sesshomaru had managed to kill off the first wave, utilizing the skills his mother had taught him, but they had just kept on coming, getting larger and stronger each time.

Sadly, though his mother had taught him every single one of her moves and tactics, he had still been a pup and thus his youkai hadn't been fully developed so he lacked the energy to use most of the attacks he had been taught. It was the fifth wave that did him in.

Sesshomaru could still remember the shame that overcame him when his wrists were shackled and he was led away.

That was almost five hundred years ago. He had been unable to escape since then as their wrists were bound with specialized chains that absorbed demon energy. Sesshomaru had lost contact with his youkai centuries ago.

The main chain was yanked, causing all other's to pull with it and inadvertently making the one on Sesshomaru's wrist jerk forward but he didn't even stumble like the rest of the other slaves.

He saw one of the takers sneer at him but his face remained emotionless. It was the mask he'd perfected during his years in slavery, they never knew what he was thinking, what he was feeling, he never responded to their taunts and jeers, never cried or begged and he knew that pissed them off more than anything.

They called him 'difficult' and 'unresponsive', 'unpurchasable'. But Sesshomaru was simply his mother's son. He was prideful and arrogant, practical and matter-of-fact, years in slavery had done nothing to snuff off these attributes. He bended to the will of no one and walked with his head up high.

That was what made Inuyasha notice him.

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><p>"Feh! Stupid Miroku, what the fuck was he thinking offering my service like that!"<p>

The hanyou prince grouched as he stormed down the halls of the Western Palace, plucking out the bits of hay that still clung to his long white hair, remembering how not hours ago, his so called best friend had petitioned him to help clean out the dragon stables. Bastard knew that the dragons were more than a little unruly today and had informed the apprehensive stable boys' that they could 'take a break' as their 'oh so gracious prince' would deal with the beasts.

Inuyasha had been mauled, growled at, breathed fire on and Miroku had watched with a gleeful smile. Son of a bitch! Oh he'll get him back; maybe he'll feed him a potion that'll cause his dick to shrink. The hanyou smirked at the thought, that'll teach the pervert a lesson.

The shuffling of chains drew him out of his vengeful thoughts and the puppy ears at the top of his head perked in their direction, the direction that Inuyasha was turning a second later.

Filthily dressed people in rags were led by a train of chain, their heads bowed low, eyes flat, dead. The face of the broken. They were slaves.

He lips pulled down into a frown, suddenly remembering something about getting new palace workers. He eyed the proceeding distastefully, he'd always hated the idea of slavery and thankfully his father shared his sentiment ,it was a trade illegal and abolished in the Western Lands, so he knew these people had probably come from far off. He snuck a peek again, noticing they were being led towards the kitchen area; at least they would have a better life here and be properly taken care of.

He was about to turn and walk away when a flash of white caught his attention. Inuyasha swiveled on his heal, eyes widening at what he saw.

Thick snow white hair cascaded down to the back of his knees, standing out brightly against the dark ragged tunic he wore. At least the hanyou was assuming it was a 'he', from what Inuyasha could see of the facial structure, it was delicate yet defined with three identical red stripes on each cheek and a blue crescent moon on his forehead. Indeed from afar, he could have easily mistaken the stunningly beautiful demon for a female, but the air of confidence and pride he walked with was all male.

Inuyasha watched him with interest; his frame was slight and a bit on the frail side from lack of proper nourishment, but that didn't hide the fact that he was basically still a pup. Had he been human the hanyou would have put him around the age of twelve or thirteen while Inuyasha himself appeared sixteen but the hanyou knew in demon terms the other was probably centuries older than he was as half breeds tended to age a little bit faster than full blooded youkai's.

He was also an Inuyoukai which surprised him a bit as there weren't many Inu demons left much less full Inu demons; his father was the only other one he knew about. But this boy was a full Inuyoukai if the white hair and gold eyes were anything to go by. It was the eyes that caught his attention.

They were narrowed and though his face had no expression, his eyes burned with defiance and determination. He was not broken, he had not given up and Inuyasha felt his interest grow, feeling vague respect for the young boy.

Sensing he was being watched, the boy paused in mid step, head slowly rising to meet Inuyasha who was looking at him from the overhead balcony.

Their gazes locked only briefly before it was broken by a snarl from one irate slave trader.

"What are you doing you piece of shit! Get a move on!" the command was followed by a snap of his leather horsewhip that connected soundly with the boy's back.

As Inuyasha watched, the other didn't even flinch or show any outwards sign of pain but he could see his jaw clenching imperceptibly to hold in his reactions.

The slaver raised his whip once more when he got no reaction. "I said move!" he brought it down.

Sesshomaru steeled himself for another hit…but it never came.

A deep, rumbling growl sounded through the hallway, freezing everyone in place and he could hear the slavers shocked gasp.

Sesshomaru looked up to see the slavers whip caught in the large clawed hand of a muscled tan arm. His gaze drifting to see the rest of the person that arm was attached to. It was the person that had been staring at him earlier.

From the grey dog ears on his head Sesshomaru immediately knew he was an inuhanyou and that was what shocked him. He hadn't seen any half breeds in his lifetime but he'd heard that they were born repulsive but this one was anything but.

Wild silver hair cascaded down to his waist with bangs framing his extremely handsome face. A red fire rat haori outlined his well muscled frame and wide topaz eyes were narrowed in anger at the slaver.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha roared, voice echoing through the deathly silent hall as he tore the whip away from the slavers hand, sending it halfway across the other side of the room.

He rounded burning amber eyes on the now trembling slaver. "I-I-I was j-just punishing him P-Prince Inuyasha".

Sesshomaru would have been amused at the pure terror in the youkai had his focus not been arrested by the title the hanyou was addressed by. The slight widening of his eyes was the only outward sign of his shock as he snuck a peek to the hanyou. Prince? Sesshomaru had heard of how the great Lord InuTaisho had taken a human mate decades ago and she had died at childbirth. This didn't surprise him, after all, humans were pathetically weak creatures and he had no patience for them and most were petty, ruled by greed and fear, reminding him basically of the very slavers that shackled him. He'd heard the Lord had a half breed son but had no interest in such affairs but some of the slaves talked. They talked about a half breed price named Inuyasha that was widely known for his hot temper, defeating many of the youkai that dared challenge him or simply piss him off. It was easy to guess that this was the root of the slavers current fear.

Sesshomaru himself couldn't imagine trembling in the presence of a mere half breed, weren't they known to be weaker and more inferior to full demons? Their human blood made them imperfect didn't it?

"You try that shit again your ass is grass!" Inuyasha's threatening bark brought him out of his thoughts.

The hanyou turned to the boy that was looking at him, meeting his eyes with no ounce of hesitation or fear. "Hey you", he called to him "what's your name?"

"H-He doesn't have one my lord. He barely speaks", the slaver was quick to interject, wanting to get back to the prince's good graces. The last thing he needed was the heir of the Western lands displeased with him and affecting his sales.

Inuyasha growled side long at him, causing the youkai to clamp his mouth shut and shrink back. "I didn't ask you I asked him. You must have one right?" he addressed the last part to the boy.

Once again Sesshomaru was shocked but refused to show it. The slaver had been right when he said he barely spoke, in fact, he didn't talk to anyone at all, opting to keep to himself. They had already taken away his freedom and independence, he had refused to give them his name.

He had obviously been taken too long as the slaver hissed. "Are you deaf filth, the Prince asked you a question!"

The next second, the youkai's neck was in a vice grip, Inuyasha holding him a few inches above ground. "What the fuck did I tell you?" he demanded.

People around watched in silent horror as the youkai's grey face was abruptly turning a sickly shade of blue from lack of oxygen. He was about to start begging for his life when everything stilled at the sound of a low, smooth, velvety voice.

"Sesshomaru".

Inuyasha blinked in stunned surprise, having not really expected the boy to reply. He abruptly turned to Sesshomaru, noticing the boy himself looked the tiniest bit flustered as if he couldn't believe he'd said the words.

"Heavy name", the hanyou commented, absently dropping the slaver when the man began choking. He fell at Inuyasha's feet, spluttering and hacking as he tried to catch his breath.;

The hanyou didn't spare him a glance, his attention were riveted on Sesshomaru whose eyes had narrowed at his previous comment.

He chuckled a bit at the young slaves audacity to glare at him, finding the boy increasingly interesting.

"How much?" he inquired though his gaze was locked firmly on Sesshomaru who caught off guard by the question, couldn't mask his shock. He righted himself a second later, face becoming emotionless once again and Inuyasha found it thoroughly amusing.

The slaver who had been in the middle of getting up from the floor had almost stumbled again the moment the question was asked. "M-My Lord, you couldn't possibly presume to buy him", he made a vague gesture to the stoic Sesshomaru's direction.

Inuyasha didn't cut him a glance but raised a brow in irritation. "Are you trying to say I don't know what I want?" at the back of his mind, Inuyasha argued that _he _didn't know why he wanted the boy, he just knew he did, there was something about him that intrigued the hanyou.

The youkai promptly fell to his knees, bowing. "O-Of course not my Lord right away". He named an outlandish price that had his fellow slavers licking their lips in greed.

Inuyasha didn't even bat an eye. "Release him", he ordered.

The slaver was quick to do so, hands shaking in a mixture of fear, anticipation and relief as he inserted the key to the lock.

The shackles fell to the marble floor with a loud clank but Sesshomaru hardly heard it. His gaze was drawn to his thin wrists in wonder, having not seen them since the moment of his imprisonment. Then slowly, he could feel something stirring within him, almost tentatively, just faintly pulsing beneath the surface and he knew it was his youkai rearing its head after decades of suppression. It would probably take a while for his youkai to completely manifest after all this time but it will and he couldn't help but feel deep relief.

Inuyasha's inwardly smirked at the expression on the boy's face before his gaze flickered his wrists also, noting he had two more of those red stripes on them. He suddenly had the urge to run his fingers over them, feel their texture but held back, this wasn't the time.

He turned on his heel and began walking, pausing only when he noticed Sesshomaru didn't follow.

"Well", he started, regarding the stoic boy over his shoulder "come on then".

Sesshomaru raised an elegant brow debating whether or not to follow. But when Inuyasha waited, obviously willing to stay until he did, the boy slowly started making his way towards him.

The prince smirked a bit at him when he was by his side but Sesshomaru instead stared ahead as they continued walking, only to stop again at the nasally voice of the slaver.

"M-M Lord, our payment".

Inuyasha rolled his eyes without looking back and thought for a moment. "See the castle Houshi Miroku about that", his smirk evilly and continued on his way, Sesshomaru walking beside him.

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><p><strong>Inuyasha is always getting the short end of the stick so I figured why not turn it around a bit and make Sesshomaru the slave? Am I getting his personality? Cuz I don't think someone like Sesshomaru would be a timid, 'do as told' slave no matter the circumstance, he's a daiyoukai for flips sake! Should I continue? Tell me ne? :D<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**A/N: Oh Gosh you guys! I didn't think this was going to be such a hit! Thank you all for reviewing and your great comments, you made my day for real! Enjoy.**

**Warning: none really.**

**Disclaimer: I. don't. own. Inuyasha.**

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><p>Inuyasha glanced at the Inuyoukai that walked silently beside him. That was it though, slaves were standard supposed to walk ten paces behind their masters; not too close that it would be considered insulting and improper but not too far that they weren't within reach. Also, they were to keep low as sign of submission, hands clasps in front of them but not Sesshomaru.<p>

He walked with his chin up high, bare feet barely making a sound on the marble floors as they waved past countless rooms and halls, face like stone but on closer inspection, Inuyasha swore he could see the awe in his eyes as he took in the grand structure of the palace. He exuded a fair amount of intimidation for someone his age and the grace and poise he moved with was like that of a…well a…_prince_. Hell, even the hanyou, who was the actual royalty, didn't walk half as well, and to think the pup barely came up above his waist line!

While Inuyasha was musing to himself, Sesshomaru was vigilant. Eyes subtly identifying and cataloging all doors, corners and turns in the palace, storing them away for future purposes. He was in no way trying to escape, just thoroughly acquainting himself with what he supposed was his new home.

He cut a sidelong glance to his…what? Master? Hardly. Prince or not Sesshomaru would never bend over for anyone. Though he knew-bitterly knew-that his status was still that of a slave, a servant and there were certain duties he would have to perform whether he liked it or not and he supposed he did feel a degree of gratitude to the half breed for absolving him from that dreadful place but that didn't mean he was simply going to show his belly in submission to the prince's whims. He knew he had to tread lightly lest he be sent back to the slavers or worse, it would take a few weeks for his youkai to completely heal so it would do him well to have a safe place and proper meals while he waited.

The silence was getting to Inuyasha; he knew Sesshomaru wouldn't be the one to break it. He'd barely known the pup for an hour and already knew that he had an icicle jammed so far up his ass, that it had weaved into his throat. The hanyou would have to do something about that sometime.

As for now, he opened his mouth to say something, only to be cut off by an enraged yell.

"Inuyasha! What did you do?"

Miroku came stomping down the corridor, purple monk robes in disarray, dark hair unruly in the ponytail, face contorted with rage.

"You really should keep better care of your clothes Miroku, as the royal Houshi your messed up outfit doesn't exactly inspire confidence", he said flippantly, not at all moved by his friend's anger.

The monk snarled, almost animalistic for a human. "Don't try to change the subject!" he didn't appear to have noticed Sesshomaru who was standing beside the prince.

"I have no idea what you're talking about", the hanyou said in feigned innocence.

Miroku looked like he wanted nothing more than to wring his neck. "Don't give me that! You know damn well what I'm talking about!"

"Bad, bad Houshi", Inuyasha mockingly chided even as he laughed inwardly "cursing is unbecoming of someone of your status".

"ARGH!"Miroku cried in frustration, burying a hand in his hair, further ruining the ponytail. The hanyou was the only one who could get such a rise of the usually easy going, laid back, brown-eyed monk.

""You sent those…those…demons, to me!" he began pacing in front of the Inuyasha who was biting the inside of his cheeks to keep from laughing as he maintained his innocently confused demeanor, while Sesshomaru watched in amusement at the events taking place.

"And when I told them I didn't have their ridiculous amount, they cleared out all the gold and silver ornaments in my office, including my desk and chairs! Everything is gone Inuyasha, everything!"

He was panting by the time he was done and the hanyou could no longer hold himself, he burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as it slowly began to hurt.

Miroku glared death at him as his laughter subsided. Inuyasha wiped the side of his eyes where tears had collected, grinning hugely at his irate friend.

"Pay back's a bitch", he shrugged nonchalantly.

Scratch that, Miroku didn't look like he was ready to wring his neck, he looked like he was ready to_ purify _him. "Why you…you…!" his anger wouldn't let him form the words.

"Hey at least I didn't spend your money on booze and brothels like you've done with mine so many times", he emphasized the last three words and though Miroku's face still showed anger, a bit of sheepishness seeped into it.

"Well then, what did you spend it on?"

Inuyasha raised a silver brow at that, had the monk really not noticed? Oh well, Miroku did get one track minded when he got angry. With a huff, he swung a clawed hand to his side.

It was then Miroku became aware of Sesshomaru and his eyes widened, all anger dissipating from his face to be replaced with a grin-a perverted grin.

"Well why didn't you say so Inuyasha? If you'd told me it was for this beauty I would have gladly paid up".

He glided over to Sesshomaru, hand reaching towards the inuyoukai's own at his side. "Hello, my lady", he bowed. Inuyasha choked while Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and he said in a cold, deadly voice.

"Do not presume to touch this Sesshomaru ningen".

Miroku's hand froze in mid air and he immediately jerked back, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in an almost comical expression. "Y-Y-You're a boy!"

"No shit", Inuyasha muttered, thoughts still hung up on Sesshomaru's voice, it was rather nice; smooth, a little high due to his age yet calm and cool. He made a mental note to get the pup to talk more often.

The monk's shock cleared, molding back into a lecherous expression. "I prefer women but for you I'll willingly make an exception", he leered.

A second later, Miroku was on the floor, Inuyasha's fist still attached to the top of his head where the hanyou had painfully bopped him. "Don't even _think_ about it Miroku, _he's mine_!" he snarled possessively.

Sesshomaru should have been put off, yet he was strangely…_flattered _by the hanyou prince's blatant claim to him. He frowned at his own thoughts, of course Inuyasha was possessive of him, he was his property and who knew what the hanyou would ask of him?

His frown turned into a grimace when he looked down and noticed the state of his clothes. Sesshomaru had always hated the feeling of dirt clinging to his skin, as it had become a constant occurrence throughout his years in slavery, their 'baths' being little more that public hosing with cold water. He sniffed the air lightly, smelling salt and steam. If he was to live here, he might as well take advantage of the benefits while it lasted.

He began walking in the direction, only to be stopped by Inuyasha's voice.

"Oi! Where the hell do you think you're going?" he demanded, looking up from Miroku who had begun nursing his sore head.

"This Sesshomaru is in dire need of a bath", he replied over his shoulder.

The hanyou raised a brow at the way he addressed himself as well as they way he spoke. Such speech patterns were usually reserved for higher class youkai but Inuyasha never talked like that, he always found it way too stuffy, yet somehow, it eerily suited the pup.

He said nothing as he watched Sesshomaru disappear around the corner.

"You know Inuyasha", Miroku said thoughtfully from the floor, one hand still on his sore head "he acts like more of a prince than you do".

The hanyou nodded in assent, staring off in the direction the pup had gone. "Yeah, a real frosty bastard". He turned towards the direction of his previous destination; his chambers, but knowing now he had to make a quick stop at the servants' quarters.

"Oh and Miroku" Inuyasha paused to address his friend.

"Yes?" the monk smiled in question.

"Sesshomaru's _my_ property, if you dare lay a finger on him, I'll kill you".

The monk flinched back at the Inuhanyou's ominous threat, paling. He knew his friend thus he knew when he was playful and when he was dead serious…and Inuyasha was dead serious. Inuyasha apparently knew him too as all thoughts of molesting Sesshomaru here and there any chance he got abruptly fled from his mind. He might be perverted but he wasn't suicidal. However, he knew how to appreciate a good drama when he saw one as he had a feeling things were about to get a whole more interesting.

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><p>Sesshomaru couldn't keep the awe from his expression as his gaze sweat around the large onsen. A wide circular bath was located smack dab in the middle of the room, sleek mahogany tiles lining it. On aforementioned tiles was a vast array of sweet smelling soaps and oils while spread out around the bath were beautifully carved brass sculptures of naked maidens, their brass urns spewing water into the pool.<p>

He gratefully pulled off his ragged garments as he approached, letting them fall in a heap at the floor.

Crouching down by the edge of the heated pool, he tested the water temperature with one hand before sliding in, sighing in bliss as the heated water massaged his skin. This was infinitesimally better than the poor excuse of a bath he used to have.

The water carried the dirt particles out of his skin, staining the surrounding area a pale murky brown.

Unbidden, a light blush of mortification came to his face at how filthy he truly was, and to think, he was in the presence of Prince Inuyasha like this!

Sesshomaru shook his head, it shouldn't matter what the hanyou thought about him, he doubted the other even noticed things like that. Truly, had he not seen him in such a setting, the inuyoukai would have thought Inuyasha was just another half breed. He didn't act like a prince at all.

The sliding of the ply wood door had Sesshomaru tensing, fangs barred at the incoming intruder. His youkai was in no way ready for any sort of physical confrontation but that didn't mean that should the event his life was in danger, he would do nothing. He still had his wits, fangs and claws for protection.

A human girl, looking just a little bit younger than Inuyasha but older than himself, walked in. She was dressed in a pretty pink Kimono with a lone cherry blossom in her wild dark hair that fell in spikes to her shoulders. Warm brown eyes fixed on him and she bowed lightly.

"Hello I am Rin", she introduced "Master Inuyasha asked me to see to your care then escort you to his chambers when we're done".

Sesshomaru hissed at her. "This Sesshomaru does not need help human", he growled, baring his fangs.

To his shock she didn't flinch away like many a human would but instead smiled at him, features warm, kind and completely without fear.

Wordlessly, she squatted at the edge by him, picking up a red bottle and pouring the libation in her hands, seemingly not to notice or ignoring his continued growling.

Sesshomaru watched her cautiously as her hands reached for his pale shoulder, massaging the soap into it the skin.

After a while, his growling subsided before ceasing completely. He was completely relaxed by the time Rin started chatting about her life in the castle, telling him about her parents being the Palace gardeners' and how she loved being around all the flowers. Sesshomaru listened with half an ear, finding the open human somewhat…pleasant.

After the last of the shampoo had been massaged into his hair, Sesshomaru submerged into the water, coming up seconds later to see Rin holding a towel outstretched for him.

He took it and got out, not at all perturbed by his state of undress. Rin excused herself, coming back minutes later with a folded bundle in her arms by that time, he had the towel wrapped around his waist.

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><p>Sesshomaru fingered the wide sleeves of his fine silk kimono, having never in his life worn anything so grand. The outfit Rin had presented to him was beautiful; the kimono was pristine white with intricate red designs at the sleeves- that reminded him of the color of Inuyasha's firerat clothes-and a matching white hakama.<p>

His hair had been brushed back by something that wasn't his claws for the first time in a long time and fell softly down to his knees. His skin that had been scrubbed down was free of dirt revealed the color to be something akin to that of moonbeams.

Rin paused at a large oak door, opening it and allowing him entrance before bidding him farewell and closing the door behind her.

Sesshomaru had barely heard what she said, from the moment she opened the door, his vision had been assaulted by the absolutely _huge_ room.

White washed walls with intricately beautiful patterns painted into it, a high window was located on the opposite sides of the wall, with dark curtains drawn, allowing only a minimal amount of fast fading sunlight to enter. At the side of the room were a nest made entirely of hand embroidered pillows and blankets. A comfortable looking black leather sofa was situated next to the low rising mahogany table and not far off was a blue marble fire place with a couch in front of it. Directly below the east side window a bed large enough to fit ten fully grown youkai, covered with red sheets and a ruby comforter and beside it was an ebony bedside table, leaning casually on that was a very rusty sword that looked like it had seen better centuries.

"You clean up nice".

Sesshomaru jolted from the deep, sensual voice as Inuyasha materialized from one of the numerous dark corners of the room where he'd been leaning against. Sesshomaru was taken aback; how is it that he hadn't sensed him?

Inuyasha slowly made his way towards him, amber eyes _devouring _his form, movements almost _predatory_ and Sesshomaru fought the urge to fidget under the heated gaze.

"Very nice". He reached out to caress the ends of silky silver hair between clawed fingers, eyes locking to the pup's identical ones.

Sesshomaru was surprised that he didn't feel the urge to bite off his hand like he usually would when anyone tried to touch him, in fact, he couldn't feel much. His gaze was frozen by the intensity in Inuyasha's eyes, locked almost hypnotically to him that he unconsciously leaned into the touch fractionally.

Inuyasha pulled back with a self satisfied smirk and it was then Sesshomaru realized what he had done. He clenched his jaw at his own actions and said through gritted teeth.

"What is it you require of this Sesshomaru?" he might as well get it out of the way. The prince would probably want him to do menial tasks like clean his chambers and do his laundry. Sesshomaru could live with that.

Inuyasha raised a brow. "Shouldn't you be calling me master?" he teased, eyes glinting mischievously.

Sesshomaru narrowed eyes at him. "That will not happen", he deadpanned.

The prince affected a mock reprimanding glare. "That's too bad of you. You should always do as I tell you, seeing as how you belong to me and all".

"This Sesshomaru belongs to no one!" he hissed.

A second later his neck was barred as Inuyasha dug a large clawed hand into the tresses of his silky, silver hair, tilting his face up to meet burning amber eyes. He fought the urge to shiver as he stared into those intense orbs.

"Now that's where you're wrong ice princess", Inuyasha said, hand tightening in his hair; not enough to hurt but enough to prevent him from moving his head "You belong to me and only me. I bought you therefore you're my property. You will listen to me, answer to me and no one else".

This time, Sesshomaru couldn't fight the shiver that raced down his spine at the hanyou's deep voice, so riddle with dominance his knees almost gave way.

Inuyasha must have seen something in his eyes for he pulled away the next moment, looking smug.

"And seeing as how you are my property, I can touch you, fuck you, and do whatever the hell I please with you and there ain't nothing you can do about it".

Having regained his senses the moment the hanyou released him, Sesshomaru barred his teeth at him. "This Sesshomaru will allow no such thing", he vowed.

The Prince chuckled darkly, the sound sending a tingle through his body. "You don't get it do ya?" Inuyasha questioned mockingly "you don't have to _allow_ anything. You're the slave, the merchandise; your life is now in servitude to me. You're in no position to give orders, just take 'em. It's impossible to kneel standing up y'know". The hanyou could care less whether Sesshomaru referred to him as master or not, in fact he would rather the pup not but he knew the Inuyoukai was too stubborn to submit and therein lied the problem. Inuyasha didn't want the pup to be meek and timid no he rather liked his cold fire. He just wanted Sesshomaru to submit to him and only him, he knew it would take a lot of work from his part but Inuyasha was nothing if not looking forward to the challenge.

Sesshomaru was shaking in suppressed anger at the end of the hanyou's speech, a growl working its way up his throat as his claws twitched with the need to drive themselves into the obnoxious prince.

Inuyasha smirked at the response he was getting. It was nice to see his pup wasn't made of stone and was taking great pleasure in getting him to respond, even if it was only in anger.

He yawned, suddenly feeling very tired. A quick peek to the side window showed the darkened sky and stars, the sun had long since set. Men, it's been a long day.

Inuyasha turned, ignoring the still irate Inuyoukai, and strolled to his bed, jumping on and tucking himself under the comforter. He maneuvered so his back was facing Sesshomaru, whose anger had dissolved the moment Inuyasha walked away and was still standing by the entrance at a loss of what to do.

A few minutes past and he was sure the hanyou was asleep when his voice rang out, startling the pup.

"That's where you'll be sleeping from now on", without turning he made a sweeping gesture to the corner where a nest of plush pillows and blankets where. "So I'll know you're close by".

Sesshomaru stared at it for a bit, before slowly making his way over, only to pause once as Inuyasha spoke again.

"Oh and Sesshomaru?" the inuyoukai made no reply and he continued "If you're planning on attacking me in my sleep, don't, because then I'll have to punish you". There was teasing laughter as well as a hinting threat in his tone and Sesshomaru stiffened and then hissed at him, getting a small chuckle in return.

He settled on the pillows, finding them to be extremely comfortable, a vast contrast to the concrete ground he'd been sleeping on for the last few centuries. Almost, tentatively, he reached for the thick duvet and wrapped it around his body and stared out to the darkened sky.

"Goodnight bastard". Inuyasha bid but he didn't reply, just continued to stare out the window.

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><p>It was well past midnight and Sesshomaru had yet to move from his position, only occasionally squirming slightly when his limbs threatened to fall asleep.<p>

His lids were getting heavy but he knew sleep wouldn't come. Not because he wasn't tired, the day had been very eventful that he scarcely believed it had been less than twelve hours since he'd been bought, something he never thought would ever happen to him. The reason for his lack of slumber was habitual, in the early years of his slavery, the slavers had often attempted things with him while he was asleep so he had trained his body to function properly on the most minimal amount of bed rest.

"It's hard to sleep with you awake".

Inuyasha inferred groggily and from the corner of his eyes, Sesshomaru saw the hanyou prince sit up in bed, having no problem making him out in the dark with his demon eyes.

"What's the matter, can't you sleep?" Inuyasha asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"This Sesshomaru does not require sleep", he said without taking his eyes away from the waxing moon.

He heard the prince snorted then some slight shuffling as he got out of bed and the padding of barefoot on the rug.

Sesshomaru stiffened when Inuyasha's voice sounded so close. "Well I do and knowing you're awake is preventing me from gettin' any".

He let out an uncharacteristic squeak of surprise as he was lifted by the scruff of his haori, much like a pup, by the prince.

"Unhand this Sesshomaru at once!" he growled, struggling a bit, but Inuyasha simply ignored him as he carried him over.

Sesshomaru gasped inaudibly as he was casually tossed, landing on a soft, plushy surface he immediately identified as the Prince's bed.

He felt the other side dip as Inuyasha got in and before he could even think of sitting up, a strong arm encircled his waist, pulling his back flush against the Prince's warm, muscled body and holding him there in a vice grip.

Sesshomaru squirmed futilely, trying to get out of the hold.

"Shit!" he heard Inuyasha hiss beside his ear "Dammit, stop moving or I'm gonna do a lot more than just holding you".

It was then Sesshomaru froze in his tracks at the meaning behind the words but more from the noticeable, hard, large bulge, pressing against his ass.

He was suddenly very thankful that his back was to the Prince so he couldn't see the blush that stole across his cheeks. It took a lot to keep from fidgeting uncomfortably, wanting to get away.

Inuyasha breathed a sigh of half relief half disappointment when the pup complied. He of course had every intention of taking Sesshomaru sometime but not now, not on his first day, he had a feeling if he did the pup might become more closed off than he already was. But Kami knew the amount of self control he was exerting now to keep from turning his beautiful pup over and having his way with him. Maybe bringing him to the bed hadn't been such a great idea.

Instead he opted to just hold him closer and bury his nose into his hair, breathing in the fresh scent of pine, cool breeze and mint.

"Go to sleep", he murmured, voice thick with lingering lust and exhaustion.

It wasn't long before Sesshomaru felt the hanyou's breath even out indicating he was asleep though his grip on him never wavered. The Inuyoukai pup expected stay awake but somehow, the cozy temperature of the room, combined with the softness of the bed beneath him and cocooned by the Prince's warm body and rhythmic breathing, found his lids closing and he welcomed sleep.

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><p><strong>It's really quite simple, the more reviews I get, the faster I update. So review ne? :D<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for the review I absolutely loved them! Here's a new chapter for you all.**

**Warnings: None really.**

**Pairings: Inu/Sess.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

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><p>A ray of sunlight streamed in from the curtains, shinning on the red stripes at the corner of his eyes and they blinked open, showing nothing but confusion as they took in the grand room and noticed solid warmth beneath.<p>

Red blinded his vision and Sesshomaru lifted his head slightly to view firerat robes, tracing it up to the sleeping face of the prince. It was then he realized the solid warmth he'd been lying on was the prince's chest and the events of the previous day came flooding back.

So it had not been a dream, he idly mused to himself, not entirely sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. He shifted slightly, becoming aware of his current position; the top half of his body was splayed over the broad expanse of the hanyou's chest while the other still held him securely with an arm around his slender waist. He must have moved sometime during the night.

His gaze moved from the prince to the window, eyes narrowing a bit at the harsh sunlight indicating the sun was high in the sky. His eyes immediately widened as he realized the implications of that. He'd slept for hours! He, Sesshomaru, had slept all night and morning by the looks of it. He couldn't recall a time that had ever happened; his slumber usually consisted of a couple of hours in between the week.

Sesshomaru as carefully as he could, tried to extricate himself from the Western heirs grasp, not wanting to be in bed any longer. He'd been there for long enough.

Muscled arms tightened further around him and he looked up to see the golden eyes of the Prince staring back at him. "Morning Princess", Inuyasha yawned, disregarding the glare Sesshomaru threw at him for the name.

He released the Inuyoukai to sit up and stretch, groaning when his bones cracked.

He swung his legs over the bed and got up, grabbing the rusty sword from earlier and securing it between the knots of his haori at the side hip while Sesshomaru watched him silently, kneeling on the bed.

The hanyou took a moment to appreciate the sight then stole a quick peek to the pleasantly sunny outside and Inuyasha grinned. "Looks like a great day for a beat down", he murmured to himself, fangs gleaming almost menacingly. Sesshomaru raised a brow.

The hanyou turned to him before starting for the door. "You can come with or stay here", he shrugged "your choice". The pup's brow climbed higher, he couldn't recall ever hearing those two words addressed to him in the same sentence. They seemed so foreign, having known no master to give his slave an option before, it was a simple give and take relationship where the slave always gave while its master took.

Obviously taking his silence for an answer, Inuyasha stepped out the door and began down the corridor, smirking to himself when not seconds later the soft patter of Sesshomaru's leather slippers could be heard after him.

Sesshomaru ignored the curious glances the other servants threw his way, focusing instead on how they responded to the hanyou.

He noticed two things: one was that the rumors of the great Lord InuTaisho's love of ningen were correct as they passed a few humans working alongside the youkai in the Palace. The second thing was the respectful, awe and in some cases, fearful looks cast the Princes way, it was clear that Inuyasha was deeply revered by humans' and youkai alike.

He followed Inuyasha through a spiraling hallway and outside to the palace grounds until they came into what must be an arena. The space was wide and circular, weapons of every kind were hung on the stone walls and there were a few youkai guards training with each other. The proceedings stopped, however, when they became aware of the Prince's presence. A hush seemed to fall over the area and Sesshomaru could almost_ see_ the tremor of anticipation that went through all present.

He cut a gaze to Inuyasha, wondering how the hanyou could command such attention as he had yet to see anything that hinted at such. It wasn't just because he was the Prince, there was something else in the way they regarded him; much like how the servants had done earlier but to a more potent degree, reached by only being in his presence more often. A mixture of awe and fear.

"My Prince!"a panther youkai came running up to Inuyasha. He was about the same height as the hanyou but with a whole lot more defined thick muscles, yet the way he looked up at the Prince made it seem like he was infinitely smaller. He stopped in front of Inuyasha and bowed low. "You grace us with your presence". He raised his brow curiously at Sesshomaru but said nothing.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes then nodded towards the training ground where the other youkai were staring at them. "What do we got Gin?"

"A few new recruits sire, fresh off the academy", the panther replied straightening.

Inuyasha eyes flashed dangerously and he smirked. "Perfect". He then turned to Sesshomaru, reaching out to stroke the stoic pup's soft cheek with the back of his rough hand. Sesshomaru made no reaction; he neither moved away nor leaned in, just stood as placidly as ever.

From the corner of his eyes, the Inuyoukai saw Gin glare at him, eyes full of a frightening degree of jealousy and hatred as he eyed how the Prince touched him.

He pulled back and grinned. "Just watch and learn Princess". He bounded off into the field, Gin close behind him, the panther youkai only turning once to bar his teeth at the pup.

For lack of a better thing to do, Sesshomaru turned his attention to the scene, watching how Inuyasha stepped into the field and immediately held everyone's attention. The pup would be lying if he said he wasn't curious as to the extent of the Prince's power; he wanted to see for himself if all those rumors were true. How truly power was Prince Inuyasha to command such respect from youkai and humans alike?

Inuyasha stood, surrounded by a dozen youkai, confident smirk in place. He pulled out the rusty sword and Sesshomaru was caught in a moment of wonder at how the hanyou was supposed to fight them armed with a weapon that looks like it's about to break any second.

Wonder turned to shock the next second as that rusty, decrepit sword morphed into an imposing, beautifully carved white fang.

"Alright, who goes first?" Inuyasha asked, gaze meeting all their eyes and most shied away.

"Come on, come on, I ain't got all day", he taunted, a bit of impatience seeping into his voice.

They exchanged nervous glances, having all heard the stories of the fierce Western heir and were very reluctant to tackle him.

Inuyasha sighed explosively at their hesitance, dropping his arm so the sword hung limply by his side. "Tell you what", he addressed them "how about you all come at me at once".

The youkai looked at him in shock, standing up straighter as their confidence renewed. Sesshomaru frowned lightly; surely the hanyou was being too cocky.

Inuyasha looked at them, noting the way some gripped their weapons tighter while other licked their licks in anticipation, he smirked. "Bring it".

All hell broke loose as they charged at him as one, weapons poised.

Only to fly back a moment later.

Sesshomaru blinked at the proceedings that seemed to occur in less than a second. Had they even occurred at all?

His gaze flickered to Inuyasha. The Prince was standing in the exact same spot, nothing out of place. The only difference was that the sword that had been hanging by his side was now casually draped over his right shoulder by his hand and an irritated frown marred his face.

"What kind of weak shit was that?" he growled at the moaning and groaning demons on the floor while Gin, who had been left out of the action, stood by the sidelines, gazing at Inuyasha with a God-like adoration in his eyes.

"Again!" he commanded as the youkai slowly got up.

They ran for him at a more forceful pace. This time Inuyasha lazily brought his sword down from him shoulder, seemingly not to notice his charging adversaries as the sword went back to its rusty form and was resheathed.

He had time to yawn boredly before they reached him.

Sesshomaru stared with an air of feigned disinterest as Inuyasha fought them off unarmed. His feet did not move an inch but his upper body swiveled and bent with an animal like grace, dodging any incoming attacks while his fists lashed out, punching the youkai within vicinity, sending them to the ground or unconscious depending on the force he felt like exerting at that particular moment.

The pup was transfixed; held ensnared by the raw power that came _oozing_ off the Prince, washing over him, causing a pleasurable tingle to race down his spine and pool in his lower abdomen.

"That boy is aggressive as always".

Sesshomaru visibly jumped at the deep, mellow voice, turning with a death glare prepared for the suicidal youkai that dared invade his personal space. Only for it to melt away for his eyes widen at who he saw.

He was at least a foot taller than the Prince and a whole lot broader but with equally tanned skin. His ears were pointed and the two jagged blue stripes across each cheek an crescent moon on his forehead indicated he was a full blooded Inuyoukai. Silver hair fell down the back of his metal chest plate and spiky shoulder guard that adorned his regal robes. His narrowed golden eyes burned with inner fire and he exuded an air of confidence and leadership. Those made Sesshomaru feel like he was looking at an older version of Inuyasha.

The pup promptly dropped to his knees, kowtowing respectfully in the presence of the great being.

InuTaisho chuckle good naturedly. "Rise boy, there is no need for formalities".

Sesshomaru hesitated and then slowly got to his feet but still kept his head bowed.

"So you're the little slave my son bought", The Western lord commented, gazing at the pup thoughtfully "what's your name?"

"Sesshomaru", his voice was uncharacteristically tentative, shy even, sounding every bit as the pup he truly was at that moment but he couldn't help it, the Lord was imposing; commanding and demanding respect at the same time.

InuTaisho smiled warmly but he couldn't see with his head bowed.

Sesshomaru flinched when a large, clawed hand landed on his frail shoulder and his head snapped up to the lord, eyes widening at the welcoming look he was given.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Sesshomaru", he grinned.

The pup fought down a small blush of embarrassment and nodded once, not trusting his voice not to give him away.

"Although", InuTaisho started , frowning slightly and Sesshomaru tensed. "I can't say I'm pleased with the circumstances at which we met".

The hand on his shoulder tightened and the lord's teeth clenched in anger. Sesshomaru's hands fisted at his sides to hide their trembling as dread and admittedly…fear started tinkling into the pit of his stomach.

Perhaps the rumors about the great lord were all false. Perhaps he wasn't such a benevolent being. Perhaps he was just like the other Nobel youkai that sneered in the face of lesser beings, especially slaves.

"I should have those slavers found and punished for daring to imprison a youkai of the great Shiro Inu house, especially when there's a decided lack of us".

Fear was overshadowed by confusion and then the Lord's words processed and golden eyes widened in shocked comprehension.

The Western Lord wasn't angry Sesshomaru was a slave, he was angry that he was _enslaved_.

His being warmed at the demon Lord's righteous anger over him and the hand on his shoulder moved to pet his hair. Normally, Sesshomaru would have caused anyone who tried to lose a finger or two but like it was with Inuyasha, he didn't feel the need to. He couldn't say it was because the touch was non-threatening because Sesshomaru didn't like to come into such close physical contact with other people, period. Maybe it was because the gesture was almost…_paterna_l, something he'd never had the privilege of ever experiencing in his life. He suffered a moment of irrational envy towards the hanyou Prince for having known the presence of a father figure in his life.

Though, he amended almost immediately, the half breed never knew the presence of a mother like he did, even though his own experience had been tragically cut short. So in a way they had both lacked the influence of the other parental unit in their lives.

He blinked at the realization he had something in common with the Prince.

A loud crack, followed by a pained howl and Sesshomaru turned in time to see one of the youkai fly back into the stone wall, before sliding down unconscious into the ground and leaving his body impression on the wall.

Sesshomaru looked around the training ground, noticing to his shock that there were at least a few more such indentations on every wall and all the youkai were either unconscious on the floor or gripping a part of their body and crying out in pain.

Inuyasha stood in the exact same position he'd been from the beginning-in the middle of it all-smirking triumphantly.

He turned back to InuTaisho, only for the space the demon lord had been to be empty.

Sesshomaru blinked and looked around but it was no use, the Lord was gone.

"Oi! What're you looking at?"

Inuyasha bounded to him and stood with his arms crossed. As soon as he got close enough his nose tilted in the air, sniffing and he raised a brow at the pup.

"My old man was here?" it was more of a statement as he already knew the answer thus Sesshomaru didn't feel it required a response.

He fixed his gaze on Sesshomaru. "What'd he say to you?"

The pup simply shook his head in response, still a bit in wonder at the demon Lords quick departure.

Inuyasha shrugged nonchalantly as he reached to flick some of Sesshomaru's silky hair. "Come on Princess, we're leaving", he jerked a thumb behind him to the defeated youkai on the ground "these guys weren't even worth the effort of getting out of bed".

Sesshomaru refused to dignify the term he was addressed with, with a reaction and said nothing as he followed Inuyasha out of the training grounds, leaving the groaning and unconscious youkai behind.

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><p>Hidden by some columns, InuTaisho watched his son and the pup disappear, a pleased yet sad smile on his face.<p>

There was no doubt Sesshomaru had his mother's beauty.

He felt the familiar pang of regret and loss that reared its head every time he thought of Kukiko, it had diluted over the centuries and completely disappeared when he met Izayoi-Inuyasha's mother-but once in a while it would make its presence known.

He could still recall how he'd gone to her in hopes of reviving their dying Shiro Inu race as she was the last full female Inu demon in existence. They had fought and he'd been pleasantly shocked at how prowess, having almost defeated him.

He would have claimed her for a mate but alas it wasn't meant to be as she had informed him that she was already in love and intending to mate with someone else.

He had been disappointed but had been so impressed with her that they became good friends.

He'd lost touch with her and not long after heard of the death of her mate and birth of her son. InuTaisho had immediately sought her out, looking to offer her and her offspring protection in his Castle but once again it seemed like fate had other ideas as she had completely disappeared.

He'd heard of her death in passing and had been grieved, he had tried looking for her pup but the boy, much like she had, seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth. Decades later, he met Izayoi and soon had a son of his own to raise but the memory of his inability to protect a friend never left him.

He couldn't help but wonder that had he been successful in courting Kukiko, would Sesshomaru be his son?

InuTaisho shook the thought from his head with a chuckle just as Inuyasha and Sesshomaru disappeared from view.

His smile turned into a pleasant grin. Fate was a funny thing and irony was even more amusing. It was like history was repeating itself in a way. And he hoped with all his heart that his son would succeed where he had failed.

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><p><strong>T.B.C<strong>

**You guys like? review! oh and no Sess and Inu aren't brothers in this.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL! I hope this year brings nothing but joy and happiness for you. Here's the next installment, enjoy!**

**Warnings: Shota yaoi,LIME.**

**Chapter 4**

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><p>Sesshomaru silently trailed beside Inuyasha as the hanyou got further away from the Castle grounding and into the surrounding forest.<p>

Without warning, Inuyasha took to the trees; jumping from branch to branch with a fairly intimidating degree of ease.

From his position on the ground, Sesshomaru could see how the wind whipped about the Prince, causing his tresses to flow behind him like billowing strands of silver curtain, his body as completely relaxed, eyes closed. The hanyou looked the perfect picture of someone at home.

A few minutes later, Inuyasha jumped down in front of him. "We're here", he grinned, hands moving to part a gathered mass of shrubbery.

A breathtaking stream, approximately nine feet by eight feet was located in the middle of a cluster of bushes, tall, surrounding trees hiding it from to such an extent that had one not been intimately familiar with the topography they would have completely missed it. That alone went to show how much time the Prince spent in the forest.

His attention was diverted by the rustle of fabric as Inuyasha pulled off his haori.

Try as he might, Sesshomaru couldn't stop his eyes from staring as slowly, hard, tanned skin was revealed. The haori pulled off over the rippling abs on the Prince's abdomen, peeling higher to reveal the broad pectorals and muscled biceps. He was hit with the urge for a second, just a second mind you, with the desire to run his hands over the impressive torso, feel every defined inch with his fingers.

Inuyasha caught the pup's gaze and smirked, chuckling lightly. "You through checking me out princess?"

Just like that, Sesshomaru snapped out of his gaze to glare hotly at the hanyou, expertly hiding his embarrassment at being caught.

He shrugged it off, looking at Sesshomaru pointedly when the pup made no move. He sighed irritably and prompted. "Well?"

The pup regarded him blankly, having no idea what he was getting at.

Inuyasha made an annoyed sound at the back of his throat. "What are you waiting for bastard, an invitation? Strip and get in with me".

Sesshomaru blinked in disbelief before his eyes narrowed further, becoming slits. "This Sesshomaru would do no such thing", he hissed.

"Suit yourself" The Prince scoffed and stomped towards the pool with only his haori on, throwing something over his shoulder. "Here".

The red haori came flying at him and Sesshomaru caught it out of reflex than anything else. Inuyasha's scent hit him the moment he came in contact with the robes, a sent he hadn't paid attention to last night; it was a mixture of earth , the forest and the natural musky scent of an alpha male. It coursed through his body like quicksilver, coating his entire cells with its intoxicating smell and he caught himself before he instinctively leaned into it.

"If you're gonna stand there, you might as well make yourself useful and keep me entertained", Inuyasha called teasingly from the pool, the water coming up just above his navel as he leaned on a boulder with his two hands propped on opposite rocks.

The pup growled at him through gritted teeth at the suggestion. "This Sesshomaru has no intention of waiting for you to finish your bath".

"Oh?" he raised a silver brow "But Princess, I thought you were enjoying the show".

His hands clenched and Sesshomaru was mortified at the amount of emotions he was displaying but he couldn't help it. The hanyou knew how to rile him up and push his buttons like no one he'd ever encountered.

The hanyou grinned and Sesshomaru knew he was enjoying the reactions he was getting at of him and that just incensed the pup more. He caught Inuyasha's triumphant expression and let his own relax; face molding back into its usual emotionless façade.

"I saw no show", he said tonelessly to the Prince's previous statement, watching in satisfaction as the grin slid off his face at his cold tone "besides, you have absolutely nothing I wish to see".

The grin that had been fading was quickly righted into a smug smirk. "That's not how you acted a few minutes ago", he pointed out tauntingly.

Sesshomaru wasn't fazed. "That was simply the delusional product of your own vanity as I have no interest in", he paused, letting his gaze roam over Inuyasha's frame condensingly, deliberately lingering on the twitching puppy ears atop his head. "Half breeds".

The Prince's golden eyes narrowed at him dangerously. "I'd watch that smart mouth of yours princess, or I'll bend you over a rock and dominate you into submission", he snarled lowly.

And for the first time ever, Sesshomaru was left speechless. Outrage flowed through him…but that's not all that flowed. Heat pooled in his body as a coil tightened in his stomach at the Prince's crude words, even more so when Inuyasha's face took on a thoughtful look, as if he was actually considering it.

He unceremoniously dropped the garments in his hand on the floor, not caring where they landed and turned stiffly, fully intending on heading back to the Palace and leaving the annoying hanyou behind.

A rush of water and a second later he was airborne. He was only able to emit a surprised gasp before it was swallowed up by the pool with a loud splash.

He resurfaced just as a smug looking Inuyasha was getting in.

Sesshomaru lunged at him.

Inuyasha dodged the first swipe of razor sharp claws, propelling himself back across the water. The pup went after him, fangs barred, aiming for any part of his body to rip apart.

"H-Hey…hey! Calm the fuck down!" The onslaught continued. Inuyasha dodged a thrusting claw in time for it to connect with the rock behind, the force causing it to crumble.

"Shit", his eyes widened.

Sesshomaru took his momentary distraction to swipe at him but luckily, instinct took over and the hanyou submerged under water in order to avoid the attack, coming up when the coast was clear.

He didn't want to hurt the Inuyoukai by fighting back but the constant barrage of attacks were becoming a problem to handle in water and he knew he would have to subdue him soon. Also, there was another problem developing down south.

The sight of the aggressive pup looking like he wanted nothing more than to tear into him was turning Inuyasha on like hell. That was why when Sesshomaru took a swipe at him, the hanyou caught the wrist of the offending arm, then the other that immediately followed after and in one swift motion, had the pup pressed against one of the boulders, arms secured above his head by a large tan hand.

All the anger drained off Sesshomaru's face to be replaced by shock at his new position. He struggle, trying to free his hands to claw at the Prince by Inuyasha held him fast, vice grip unrelenting.

"Release me", he commanded.

His response was a dark chuckle that made the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end.

"Now why would I do that when I have you just where I want you?" He brought his body flush against the pup's and Sesshomaru gasped at the feel of the Prince's arousal pressing his abdomen.

Sesshomaru struggled more, unintentionally bringing his pelvis to rub against Inuyasha. He froze at the hoarse groan from the hanyou.

"Unless you want it bad you really shouldn't tempt me this damn much", the hanyou said, voice showing his lust as clear as his erection was.

A clawed finger lifted to trace the neckline of his soaked haori, slowly and Sesshomaru tried to avoid it by moving his upper body alone but to no avail.

"This Sesshomaru wants nothing!" he tried to hiss but his voice betrayed him with a lone tremor as Inuyasha ground his hips into his roughly.

"This Sesshomaru sure doesn't _sound_ convincing", he chuckled and the pup's answering growl was lost in a pleasured gasp as the finger raked over a clothed nipple, pebbled and sensitive as a result of the cold water.

A thumb stroked and a shiver raced down Sesshomaru's spine, so fierce that the hanyou could see it.

Inuyasha raised a brow at the reaction and looked up to see what he had done. The thumb of the hand holding the pup in place was idly ghosting over the red markings on the wrist, feeling that the texture was even softer than the rest of the skin. That satisfies his curiosity from the previous day.

His smirk widened to a mischievous grin. "Sensitive huh?" he said, still eyeing the marks, he looked down at Sesshomaru. "Good". He began stroking in earnest, even adding the occasional scrape of claw, eyes fixed on Sesshomaru, watching for his reactions.

The unwilling groan that tore from the Inuyoukai's lips went straight to the hanyou's cock. His other hand that wasn't securing the pup took the opportunity to trail down curiously to the blue crescent moon, thumbing it.

Sesshomaru let out a surprised moan, golden eyes widening in shock, confusion and a haze of desire.

He looked so bloody innocent at that very moment that it was enough to convince Inuyasha that the pup had never been touched intimately before, hell from the looks of it, he'd never even touched himself. And that pleased the hanyou very, _**very**_much. The little tidbit of discovery only fueling the fire of his desire.

He could feel Sesshomaru hardening against him and ground down. The whimper that left the pup's throat almost broke the thin rope of self control the hanyou had.

"You really don't know what you do to me", Inuyasha husked, free hand going lower the frail yet surprisingly faintly muscular body, trailing down to grab his pert ass and squeeze. The Inuyoukai made a sound halfway between a gasp and a moan and Inuyasha squeezed again just to hear it once more.

Sesshomaru moaned at the impressive erection grinding into his as well as pleasure never felt before coursing through his veins.

The hanyou noticed this and chuckled, yet it was strained as he found himself fading from the sensations as well and he almost caved. "Gaki you turn me on"

Sesshomaru opened his mouth to deliver a scathing retort but that and all other thought patterns quickly flew from his brain when Inuyasha once more brought their hips together, grinding down roughly.

He pulled back and Sesshomaru hated the disappointment that instantly flooded through him.

Darkened amber eyes regarded their counterpart and Inuyasha took in the pup's appearance, noticing the flushed face, wisps of damp hair that clung to his nape and cheeks and wet robes that hugged his form, slightly transparent to outline pebble pink nipples.

He groaned hoarsely. "Dammit Sesshomaru, why the hell do you have to look so damn sexy." His tone was dangerously close to a whine. "You have no idea how much I want to fuck you, but I won't, not right now", the last words were practically torn from his throat with the greatest of reluctance. He looked physically ill just uttering them. "I don't want to do something you'll regret and blame me for later".

A voice at the deepest crevices of Sesshomaru's mind whispered that he might not regret it at all and the pup instantly silenced it.

His eyes widened as Inuyasha's hand traced from his ass to his front and cupped him, the hanyou smirked slightly. "But that doesn't mean I can't get you off". He began rubbing the pup through his hakama, working him slowly. The moans Sesshomaru were emitting was doing nothing to strengthen his resolve, quite the opposite actually, so Inuyasha decided to silence them. With his lips.

Sesshomaru gasped as the hanyou's mouth was crushed to his soft ones, this allowed Inuyasha's tongue to invade, mapping out every nook and cranny of the pup's sweet cavern and greedily swallowing every moan.

Sesshomaru felt the coil in his abdomen tighten and Inuyasha must have felt it too for he sped up his assault, tugging the Inuyoukai faster and harder through his pants.

He detached their lips with an erotic pop sound, aligning his with the pup's ear and whispered. "Cum for me Princess".

That was Sesshomaru's undoing as a second later, he arched into the hanyou, warmth coating his damp hakama.

He fell back panting, suddenly grateful for the rock behind him. That and Inuyasha's hand on his wrist were the only thing that kept him from sinking into the water from the force of his orgasm.

Inuyasha released him completely, moving a few paces back to watch Sesshomaru as his convulsions became less, the pup's eyes were half lidded, golden orbs blurry in post orgasmic haze.

"Shit", Inuyasha whispered softly.

Exhaustion quickly fled as an unabashed Inuyasha reached into the hem of his hakama to pull out his large member to take care of his own problem, seemingly not to notice the stunned pup as he began stroking himself.

Sesshomaru knew he should look away from the vulgar display but he couldn't. He stared transfixed, breaths coming in harshly as Inuyasha fisted and pumped his dick.

Sesshomaru didn't try to fight the shudder that raced through him, too ensnared to realized it had in the first place.

He increased the pace, running a thumb over the slit, smearing the bead of precum collecting there. Sesshomaru's mouth went dry.

Soon, Inuyasha was throwing his head back in release as his seed squirted out, instantly being washed away by the water and he tucked himself back into his pants.

"Now you can't say you weren't enjoying the show", Inuyasha grinned at him, eyes holding lingering lust as well as amusement. "I'm glad you did because next time you'll be starring in it".

Sesshomaru knew what he meant but at that moment he couldn't bring himself to offer any retort.

The hanyou's gaze moved to the setting sun, taken aback by how long they'd been here. "We better get back", he said as he moved out of the water, holding a hand out to help Sesshomaru.

The pup ignored it and got out himself, trying to right his sopping robes and disheveled hair in an effort to appear the least bit dignified but gave up when it proved futile.

Inuyasha snorted, moving to pick up his discarded haori before bounding off into the trees, knowing Sesshomaru was following behind him below ground as they made their way back to the castle.

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><p><strong>sorry if the lime sucked a bit, i'll try harder next time. REVIEW! :P<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I have absolutely no excuse about no updating except I've been crazy swamped with exams and tests so sorry. Here's a new installment for you, I'll try and update all my other stories. Enjoy!**

**Warnings: NONE.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**Chapter 5**

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><p>"Aren't these pretty Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin crooned at the blue orchids that littered a portion of the Palace breathtaking garden.<p>

The addressed pup simply nodded once without opening his eyes as he sat leaning in the shade of one of the numerous Sakura trees. He didn't have to see the flowers to know it was beautiful; every single one in the garden was beautiful and Rin took great pleasure in pointing them out.

With the birds chirping happily overhead, the sun shining softly, the pleasant fragrance of the miles of different flowers and Rin's incessant yet oddly comforting chatter, Sesshomaru felt himself relax even just a little. Though he hadn't showed it, he had been secretly relieved when Rin suggested that they visit the gardens in the morning seeing as how he hadn't been there. Even though Inuyasha had left earlier for border patrol with Miroku and had instructed Rin to watch over Sesshomaru with orders to do as they liked provided they didn't step outside the Castle grounds, the pup hadn't wanted to be in the room the reeked of the Prince's smell, it brought back too vivid memories of what had transpired in the stream the day before.

Sesshomaru couldn't believed he'd let that half breed touch him! Though in retrospect, there wasn't much he could have done about it.

The same voice from yesterday spoke up-its volume barely above a faint whisper but the pup heard. It argued that the Inuyoukai didn't _want_ to do anything about it and Sesshomaru mentally barred his teeth at the voice.

He had _not_ enjoyed having the hanyou's hands on him. Yet his body felt the need to contradict him just a moment later by tingling in recollection at the ghost feeling of calloused hands on his milky skin; touching and gripping demandingly.

Sesshomaru shuddered.

Seeming to want to prolong his torture, his lips tingled at the feel of chiseled mouth on his and unconsciously, his fingers rose to his mouth and then catching himself in the nick of time, he rubbed his lips forcefully with the back of his palm, as if to wipe away the memory.

He had admittedly been taken by surprise; held in limbo by the new sensations that had swamped him at the Prince's hands. He wasn't naive, he was well aware of rutting between demons and even humans. Some of the slavers had had a habit of taking the slaves this way, especially during mating season. It was only Sesshomaru's cold aggression and reputation for being extremely difficult that had prevented him from being one such slave but all in all he knew the mechanics.

He would be lying if he said he had absolutely no interest in them because since his first heat the year prior, the need to rut had been lingering at the back of his mind, buried so deep and stored under things deemed irrelevant but the urge was there. He knew it was his baser instincts; he was a naturally submissive demon-something very few knew of and he resented-it was in his nature to desire a strong, protective alpha, especially considering the conditions he'd been living in most of his life. That was why he had gone into his heat a year earlier that he was supposed to; his body had been forced to mature a little faster to try to attract the attention of any dominant. Needless to say, it hadn't sat well with Sesshomaru.

The pup had been livid and had taken out his anger on the males that had come to try and force themselves on him, killing some and leaving the majority who immediately backed off when the saw he was unwilling.

The actions of the Prince the previous day had just brought it all to the forefront.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Look what I made!" he sighed, opening his eyes as Rin knelt by him, a lovely wreath made up of different flowers with vibrant colors in her small hands.

"Will you wear it Sesshomaru-sama? Please?"

The pup didn't know why the human had taken to calling him 'sama', but he suspected it had to do with his position as the Prince's personal slave. In actuality, the position was the equivalent of being his assistant and he didn't feel there was a need to tell her to stop, he doubted she'd listen anyway.

He looked down at the flowers, a negative answer at the tip of his tongue but when his gaze drifted up to the achingly hopeful expressions on the human's face, he couldn't bring himself to say it. He knew he should feel some degree of resentment for the human, after all, not only was she of a weak and pathetic race but the Prince had technically assigned her to be his 'babysitter' of sorts , but there was something about the warm, accepting girl he couldn't bring himself to despise.

He found himself nodding and was rewarded with a beaming smile and Rin moved to place the wreath atop his head, only to pause midway at a voice.

"You! We've been looking for you!"

Sesshomaru tensed as three youkai presence made themselves know, cursing himself for being too occupied to notice.

He calmly raised his head to regard them, immediately spotting the panther youkai Gin from the previous day along with two other males. One, a hawk youkai he vaguely recalled seeing on the training field and a tiger demon he remembered as one of the servants he'd passed in the hall yesterday when he and Inuyasha had returned from the stream; soaked to the bone with their hair in disarray. If the state of their attire hadn't been enough to tip the servants off to what had transpired between them then the smell of arousal that still clung to their skin had.

They came to stand a few feet away, sneering down at him.

Sesshomaru tensed at the massive waves of killer intent that came oozing off them and from his periphery he saw Rin cower a bit. His hackles instantly rose though his face remained impassive; it was clear that these demons meant him harm.

He shifted minutely to the right, subtly hiding Rin from view. He didn't know where the urge to protect her came from but the last thing he wanted was the human's blood on his hands, knowing should anything happen to her it would be his fault.

A vicious snarl from Gin had him looking up. "We've seen you going around the castle with Inuyasha-sama, walking by his side like you belong there!" the words were spat so hatefully that had he been a lesser person, Sesshomaru would have flinched and maybe wet himself. But seeing as how he wasn't a lesser person but Sesshomaru, the pup merely started blankly at him, easily picking out the deep jealousy in his tone.

"Yeah!" the tiger demon snarled in agreement, addressing the other two "you should have seen 'em yesterday, glowing all brightly because he got to spend some special time with Inuyasha".

Sesshomaru raised a brow at the statement, almost scoffing at the idea of 'glowing brightly' because of the hanyou menace.

The other two looked even more enraged, the hawk youkai barring teeth at him. "Listen you piece of shit, Inuyasha-sama is the future Lord of these lands he doesn't need someone like you marring his perfection. Just because you got a little bit of his attention now you think you can go around here acting like you're better than the rest of us!"

Their emotions were rising high and Sesshomaru tensed at the ready.

He saw the large clawed hand aimed at him and in a blink of an eye was leaping back, Rin tucked under an arm, landing agilely a few feet away just as the hand connected with the spot he was, creating a huge indentation in the grass.

"Hide", was the monotone command as the pup deposited Rin, the girl nodded fervently and scuttled into some nearby bushes, fearful brown eyes peaking out.

When he was sure Rin was safely out of view Sesshomaru turned to the offending demons face blank of all emotions even as his mind was already spinning with various thoughts and strategies.

"We'll teach you your place filth!" Gin snarled as they advanced.

Sesshomaru sidestepped left in time to dodge the heavy booted kick aimed for his solar plexus swerving out of the way just in time.

Gin growled in frustration as his hit landed on the innocent lawn, distorting the freshly cut grass and spraying debris everywhere. The Inuyoukai pup felt a brief moment of regret for the destruction of the beautiful garden and a pained whimper from behind him told him Rin was feeling much the same.

The hawk youkai sent a wave of Ki enhanced feathers towards him and Sesshomaru dived to the ground so it instead connected with the tree behind, steel like feathers digging deeply into the bark.

"Stay still you little bastard!" The tiger demon roared, charging for the pup.

Sesshomaru of course had no intention of doing so and turned in a smooth three sixty degree, striking out his right foot on the last ninety. It connected soundly with the youkai's left side, sending him flying back and sprawling on the floor. He was up a moment later; the pup's kick though powerful didn't have the youkai energy to back him up and thus was next to ineffective against such a high level demon.

Another wave of feathers but this time the pup was just a second off in dodging; one ripped through his kimono, cutting his upper arm in a red horizontal line on its way to the tree, staining the fine white silk a deep red. Only a nanosecond falter in step hinted at the pain the pup felt.

His other arm lifted across his chest to cover the deep cut but he didn't have time to dwell on it as a punch was aimed at his midsection, connecting dead on.

Sesshomaru was sent flying back into the very tree riddle with youkai feathers. He couldn't stifle the pained gasp that left him when the ends of some of the feathers dug into his back before he slid down to the base.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" he heard Rin gasp and the rustling of bushes

"No, stay where you are", Sesshomaru ordered, as she made a move to go to his side, voice hoarse from the pain shooting through him.

Rin hesitated before reluctantly bowing her head in compliance.

The pup struggled to his feet, internally wincing as every nerve in his body screamed in protest. He was only able to make it to kneel on one knee, the other propped up with an arm over it.

"Pathetic ain't he?" Gin sneered down at the struggling Inuyoukai whose narrowed gold eyes burned with frustration and determination. "Couldn't do shit".

"Weak little puppy", the hawk smirked.

Sesshomaru stilled; entire body going rigid at that. Weak. He looked down at his hands, stained a bit with blood, his own blood. His gaze lifted to the three sneering demons. His mother would have taken them out in the blink of an eye…but him?

His hands clenched as frustration began building, higher and higher. Weak, the word replayed in his mind, was that truly what he was?

"Die bastard!"

Sesshomaru saw the heavy fist heading for him; he tried to get up but realized with a start that he couldn't. His muscles were frozen with pain and thus gone into a form of temporary shutdown, it was something that he had trained his body to do to conserve what little energy it had for repair and now it did it automatically. The pup frantically mused about what bad timing it chose.

The fist was getting closer and it was like time stopped. He heard Rin shout out his name, felt something familiar pull closer and bowed his head, waiting for the pain. His death.

"**_The fuck_** do you think you're doing?" a familiar voiced roared as Inuyasha stood protectively over him, the approaching fist caught in his large clawed hand and the pup couldn't help but dully think how familiar this seemed.

The tiger youkai winced as the Prince's hand tightened around his fist, crushing slightly. He looked into enraged golden eyes and felt himself tremble a little.

"I-I-Inuyasha-sama…"

"I asked you a question", the hanyou said; voice low and dangerous. The tiger youkai cried out as he heard as well as felt the sickening crack that heralded the breaking of his knuckles.

Gin looked worriedly at the Western heir; his youkai was growing in his anger, causing the panther demon to feel weak in his knees, already the hawk demon was barely holding up. "Inuyasha-sama we were just-".

Flickering red eyes cut him off and he abruptly stilled. "Touching what isn't yours", the hanyou finished in a low growl full of such anger and threat the three it was aimed at flinched.

"We only wanted to show him his place!" The hawk youkai protested in his fear and immediately wished he had kept his mouth shut when Inuyasha instantly rounded blazing red eyes on him.

"His place", his voice was so dark and low that a sent a shiver down the spines f every single person in the garden. The Prince slowly regarded the now trembling demons. "And who are you to tell him his place, huh? Who the fuck are you to 'show him his place' when you obviously don't know **yours**!"

"Inuyasha- sa-". The tiger demons whimper was cut off by a choke when the hanyou's claw cleaved into his chest, striking fast. Inuyasha pulled his hand out and allowed the dead demon to fall into a heap on the ground, blood pooling around him.

The Prince didn't acknowledge the shock that rang through the garden for he was already moving.

"**IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER**!"

Before the two other demons could blink, the Prince had sent his claws vertically down their body causing the white light of their souls to shoot up and forever disappear into the clouds as they fell dead on the floor.

He idly flicked the blood from his hand, muttering a curse word or two under his breath before turning to Sesshomaru who hadn't moved from his position.

A moment passed before the pup felt his muscles somewhat loosen and forced himself to his feet, managing to catch his footing before he stumbled.

Inuyasha approached the passive Inuyoukai; anger that had yet to recede bubbling more fervently at the sight of little tears on his slave's clothes and cuts and bruises on his body.

Through the hole in his sleeve, Inuyasha was able to make out the large cut on his porcelain arm. His eyes narrowed; a strange combination of dark topaz and crimson that indicated his youkai was roaring beneath the surface.

He reached out, just barely grazing the wound, feeling a mixture of worry and rage at the sight of Sesshomaru's blood.

"Those bastards", his whispered; voice yet to mellow out from its deep growling tone "I should have them brought back to life by Tensaiga so I can kill them again". The tone of voice as well as the look in his strangely alluring eyes said that was exactly what he wanted to do and that just pissed the pup off more.

Before he could even contemplate what he was doing, his hand lashed out. A smack echoed trough out the garden as his hand came in contact with the Prince's own on his arm, viciously slapping it away.

Inuyasha was taken aback by the angry gold orbs that glared at him, the pup's chest was heaving with his heavy breathing, his entire body was tense and teeth pulled back in a snarl.

"Prin-".

"Do not!" the growl cut him off violently and Sesshomaru balled his fists. "I did not need you to interfere; I could have done it on my own!" His frustration was spilling out now and for the first time he didn't care that he was showing more emotion than he was comfortable with. His body was trembling minutely with the force of emotions swamping him and he just wanted to let it out. "I do not need you to protect me. I can take care of myself!"

He was fairly heaving by the time he was done but the hanyou made no move, he simply stood there without uttering a single word.

Inuyasha at this moment wasn't seeing Sesshomaru…he was seeing a younger version of himself glaring up at his father with scrapes and bruises lacing his body and his Kimono half torn from a fight with other demons in which his father yet again had to save him from.

"_**I don't need your help! I can do it on my own!"**_

He understood that it wasn't anger fueling the pup's outburst but shame and frustration. He knew from the beginning that Sesshomaru was a proud demon; fiercely independent and hated to rely on people. It must have hurt his pride the most to lose to other demons. Inuyasha could have pointed out that regardless of how easy he made it look in killing Gin and his counterparts, that they were extremely high level youkai and the fact that the pup was able to stand against them, hell last as long as he did with the wounds on his body, was impressive on its own but he knew that would mean nothing to Sesshomaru; to him he was a failure.

Inuyasha could only watch alongside a worried Rin as the pup stormed out of the garden.

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><p><strong>REVIEW! :D<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys! Long time ne? SOOOOOORRRRRRYYYYYYY! I just don't have much time as I used to for fanfiction but like I said in my other fic since summer break is rapidly approaching thre will be a whole lot more time. I practically cleared out my schedule just for stories so from now on expect WEEKLY updates on ALL stories! Cool ne? Thank you all that showed your concerns over the stories, I appreciate it and will endeavor to not keep you in suspense any longer. Enjoy.**

**Warnings: None.**

**Discalimer: Not mine.**

**Pairings: InuSess.**

**Chapter 6 **

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><p>Sesshomaru sighed as he stretched his legs further out in the medium sized enclosing by the outer gate he had locked himself in. He didn't know how long he had stayed there, alternating between rage, broody and self deprecation. Now he was just numb and the full effects of his actions hit him.<p>

It wouldn't be a surprise if he suddenly found himself hauled off by guards to receive some sort of punishment if not immediate death. It wouldn't be any less than he deserved. He had struck a member of nobility, the Western heir himself. He might as well have been killed by those youkai because by such actions the pup had practically forfeited his life.

He supposed he felt a small degree of…something, at his actions towards Inuyasha, after all the prince had only saved his life as much as he loathed to admit. The hanyou may be loud, brutish and an ass but he had not treated the inupup in any reproachable manner. So far the prince had done nothing but let him sleep in his bed…and other things the pup didn't want to think about.

Lost in thought, he didn't hear the footsteps getting closer nor notice the scent that suddenly filled the room.

Sesshomaru started a bit at the sound of a loud 'thud'. His head quickly snapped up to be met with glaring amber eyes.

"Pick it up", Inuyasha commanded, tone hard and brooking no argument.

The pup's gaze went from the prince to the source of the thud as he looked down. He blinked at the katana lying on the ground, silver gleaming in the sunlight. He looked back up at the prince.

"Pick it up", Inuyasha repeated impatience layering his voice now.

Sesshomaru stared detachedly at the weapon. This is how he would meet his end? Very well.

The pup reached for it, shivering a bit as his fingers came in contact with cool steel. The sword was a bit heavier than he thought but not burdening so.

He met the Princes' gaze with his usual cool, indifferent mask. If the hanyou expected him to beg and plead for his life he was going to be sorely disappointed.

Inuyasha nodded once when the pup had the weapon firmly in hand and turned, marching out. "Follow me'.

Sesshomaru stared at the retreating back of the prince. Perhaps he wanted his execution to be public for all to see, add to the humiliation.

Squaring his back, chin slightly tilting upward, jaw set stubbornly the pup followed out. He will take his death with pride and dignity; he wouldn't give any of them the satisfaction of being scared and ashamed.

Clutching the sword tighter and with even steps he made his way out, following the hanyou who was making a brisk walk east.

Sesshomaru raised a brow as the prince passed the court yard where majority of the youkai were around. Surely if this was to be a public execution this would be the ideal place.

Inuyasha made a left then two rights and cleared the back of the castle. It was then that Sesshomaru realized where they were; the training grounds.

Now confused more than anything, he turned to the hanyou who was a few feet away.

"So you wanna play with the big boys huh?" Inuyasha spoke, tucking both arms into the sleeve of his haori.

"Wanna be real tough shit", he uncurled his fingers and reached for the side of his fire rat attire, drawing Tetsusaiga in a fluid motion, fang at the ready. "Then come at me".

Silver brows reached his hairline as Sesshomaru stared at the prince who was standing casually with his sword.

"What are ya, scared?' Inuyasha mocked when the pup made no move.

Sesshomaru's eyes instantly narrowed. "This Sesshomaru fears nothing", He deadpanned.

Inuyasha let out a derisive snort. "Coulda fooled me".

"You know nothing of which you speak", there was a slight edge to the pups voice, almost imperceptible that most wouldn't have picked it but Inuyasha did and latched on.

"Oh yeah? Then why are you still over there? I'd be the same age as my old man by the time you get your pale ass in gear". He noticed the pups hand tighten marginally on the sword.

"Come on Sessh pup", he taunted "show me what you got".

Inuyasha raised his sword an inch a second later and metal clashed with a sharp sound.

He smirked darkly, staring into enraged amber orbs."I didn't even move", he whispered to the pup, highlighting the fact that the blow was too weak to throw him off.

Sesshomaru jerked back then immediately followed through with another swing, bringing the sword diagonally down. His eyes narrowed further when the strike was blocked once more, the kick back distorting his equilibrium a bit.

The inupup gripped his sword tighter, the weapon feeling foreign yet familiar, awkward yet right all at the same time.

"That's it?" Inuyasha goaded "you didn't even lay a hit on me".

Sesshomaru gritted his teeth and sprang forth once more. He struck out with his sword left, he feinted the action to follow up with his right claw.

A growl escaped him when the hanyou blocked his incoming fist. In the same move he was twisted and shoved back.

He landed a couple of feet away, suppressing a wince at the sting of the wounds from the previous fight. He felt a bit lightheaded, he was no longer bleeding but the exertion had taken their toll on his body, especially when it was still in convalescence.

He took a moment to breathe deeply and centre himself. Then he charged.

He drew the sword left and just when the hanyou moved to block it, he struck out wit his feet. Inuyasha caught the move too, just in time for the pup to follow through with a clawed hand.

The hanyou tilted his head to avoid the fast attack, and with a twist, threw off the inuyoukai's body.

Sesshomaru landed in a heap, sliding slightly. With slightly staggering movements, he picked himself up into a sitting position just as a shadow loomed over him.

He looked up into the face of the prince.

"Not bad kid", Inuyasha grinned, reaching out with his finger to rub the single trail of blood from the horizontal scratch on his left cheek.

The pup's last hit had connected, even just.

"Y'know", Inuyasha squatted to eye level, looking seriously into similar amber orbs "you've got skills, you just need to let them time to grow. Ain't no shame in waitin', even if it's a pain in the ass. "'Till then", His hand fell into the pups soft, silky hair "count on me to beat the shit out of any fucking bastard that dares mess with you".

Sesshomaru shivered a bit at the raw dominace in the words as well as the almost feral look the prince was giving him.

"You'll do fine kid. With practice, hell you could become my sparring partner for real. Keep in mind though, I'll have no intention of loosing, I'm a real competitive son of a bitch". The hand in his hair moved a little, ruffling the strands then Inuyasha got up and stretched.

"Hey, you hungry?"

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><p><strong>So bloody short I know! I just wanted this to be a sort of prelude. I'm going to start working the plot into the story as well as introduce other characters so the length will be a whole lot more from now on.<strong>

**Review! :D**


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